The present invention is directed to an injection interface device for connecting an injection tube to a mold. Particularly it is intended for manufacturing products in plastics or composite material by injection/infusion methods, for instance Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) or Liquid Resin Infusion (LRI) processes.
Plastic or resin infusion/injection is becoming a reliable and economic method for manufacturing large pieces having complex shapes. Some examples are beams and frames, manufactured with RTM, which are currently being developed for the aircraft industry.
A known method consists of inserting resin pipes into the inlets of a mold through a port of said mold and clamping them together. This known method is not only time consuming, but it also involves some drawbacks like resin solidification within the channels and the fact that the clamps may cause pipe breakages, as well as vacuum leakage.
Document US 2012/0171321, which is also known, discloses an injection interface device that solves some of the previously mentioned drawbacks. It makes a more reliable interface device in terms of sealing and it is also easier to assemble and/or disassemble for cleaning or replacement. The dismountable assembly comprises screw-on pieces for sealing the joint between the mold and the injection pipe.
More specifically it discloses an interface device mountable between an injection tube and a mold, the injection tube comprising a terminal element at its end. The interface device comprises a metallic screwed piece and a second screwed piece both located around the injection tube so that by screwing the metallic screwed piece against the second screwed piece, the injection tube and its terminal element are pressed against the mold to seal it.
Said previously mentioned pieces are pre-assembled so that the connection of the injection tube to the mold is rapidly performed. Said pre-assembly is complex and it is performed by the supplier, therefore the interface device has to return to the supplier after use and any maintenance tasks must be performed by the supplier, thus leading to high cost and burden on logistics.